For the first time in my life I was riding an elephant. Rode on it a few hundred meters, and then another, and sneaked with him in the river. It was, probably one of the most memorable experiences from the whole trip in pai.
Strolling once through the streets of Chiang Mai, I saw an ad a poster inviting you to an exciting one-day or two-day trip to elephants, with bathing these hulks in the river. Photos on the poster were quite attractive, people and elephants, it seemed to me, were so cheerful and funny that I also wanted to experience this experience is fun with elephants. Only this one was worth the most joy somehow completely unhappy.
The content of the article
- 1 Riding on an elephant
- 2 Useful information
- 3 On the map
Riding an elephant
The cheapest offer I saw in Chiang Mai in 1 day – this is 2500 baht per person (provided that two people ride an elephant) or 3500 / person (if the elephant is only at your disposal). And although in the program includes a lot of other things, but such money is still not worth it. Therefore, I already refused this idea. Expensive, but still he stinks, probably—
And here I am in Pai, and in the very first tourist corner I see on Almost the same pleasure at completely different prices! AND may not have been offered spare swimwear like in chiang May, and the pleasure itself did not last the whole day, but only an hour or Two, I decided to try.
But I did not order a trip immediately in this mini-travel agency, decided to ride more, look. And so, having rented a bike, I drove to suburb Paya (south), and after some time along the road began come across various elephant camps (elephant camp).
I chose the cheapest katalnyu, good, the difference is still not understood. I was surprised that here are two such services each opposite a friend, at one hour costs 600 baht / person (if there are two on an elephant), and at one another – 300 baht / person (under the same conditions). And, in the first the place definitely needed to find a mate, and in the second were ready to carry and me alone, just more expensive.
Arriving there the next morning, I found standing nearby. elephant on a leash. She bored with dry leaves and rattled with a chain. And it seems nothing special, but she seemed to have some kind of too tired. And unwittingly the question arose of itself, did she really want to go on this river, and if it really does it all.
A little starting to suffer remorse of conscience, I climbed on it is warm, large, and, by the way, completely non-smelly animal, and hit the road. First impressions – elephants are so fat rough skin, and head – so hairy and prickly! And so from him just fall off if you get too keen on taking a photo.
In front was a colorful driver with a big hook on a stick, he poked his feet and hook into the ears of an elephant and constantly published some strange sounds. In principle, even cats here are not called “kitty, kitty,” but “meow meow” or even a socle.
The elephant walked slowly, sometimes even stopping. Most the ways we moved on asphalt, which is not so interesting, even though that the driver later gave me a place on the neck of our big transport.
So ride on an elephant with a saddle-chair
So ride on an elephant with a saddle-chair
So ride on an elephant with a saddle-chair
So saddle-seat for some reason is mounted behind
That awesome hook
When approaching the river, thoughts about elephants are not so harmless animals, and if it is something completely seriously not like it, he will not particularly stand on ceremony. And feeling that the elephant did not feel particularly strong desire to go anywhere and splashing in the water, and the driver’s cries and proddings intensified and Frequently, I already thought, and whether it is necessary to me.
Probably, if I relaxed and naively believed that elephant likes to swim too, water me from the top of my trunk water, a sharp dip or dumping me in the river, I would more fun. But I saw that all these actions take place after insistent teams drover, poking into his animal hook.
And after 10 minutes of such tumbling, I told the driver that I I liked everything, but already enough. My enthusiasm for swimming Cool down completely when I saw the second come later elephant, before bathing safely peeed in the water and dumped there a decent handful.
Elephant Riding in Thailand
But these neighbors soon became completely wet too.
Sometimes the elephant goes completely under water
Pretty flew from the back of our eared rider
Soft touchdown
I want to believe that both participants of swimming are satisfied
Riding on an elephant and swimming succeeded, it’s time to go home
Bringing the elephant in a stall, I fed her a cane and went wash off river water in special concrete fonts. Right in clothes you climb there, and type rinse.
Impressions from bathing turned out to be mixed. One side, A new experience, because not every day you buy with an elephant. With another parties, the specific exploitation of animals, violence. In general i Now I look at all these pokatushki quite differently. Here so elephant without rest and food hundreds of tourists and die. Not sure what it is worth it. It is better to look for elephant farms, where it is good with them Turn, good, and such too.
Useful information
– One hour of riding and swimming in the river in different elephant camps can cost from 300 to 1200 per person (if you ride an elephant two);
– If the trip is cheap, then you will swim in your clothes, so it is better to take a spare, for dressing.
Rates for skiing in one of the travel agencies
Prices for elephant riding is already in another travel agency
On the map
P.S. All information about Pai is collected here. Pai – guesthouses, that see how to get the hotel can be booked on RoomGuru.
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